Friday, December 29, 2017

2017 didn't feel very productive as I was living it but as I look back I realize it was in many ways much more productive than I can easily reflect on. I used my blog as a source of information and have to remind myself that I don't blog about everything I knit. I suffer from what author Brene Brown calls "productivity as self worth" so I'm always questioning myself.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Once
a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights
on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed
that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly
different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting
world.

I
get knitting inspiration from a variety of sources. Sometimes it is a
nice yarn or color way that gets me thinking. Other times it is shapes
and forms I see around me. Sometimes one design just flows into the next
with some variation or another. It isn't always easy though, there are
times when it is difficult to become inspired, and the design process is
long, frustrating and drawn out. I have probably frogged just as much
as I have actually knitted!

This
may sound very strange to some, but I really enjoy playing around with
short rows. Why are short rows so great? I enjoy exploring form and
shape. Short rows are the tool to work form and shape on a vertical
plane of knitted fabric, just as increases and decreases allow for form
and shape on a horizontal plane. I use short rows in various ways to
make things even more interesting.

Actually,
a few years ago, I was someone who absolutely hated short rows. I
didn't like how they made my knitting look messy. Then I discovered the
shadow wrap method. It is my absolute favorite. I have published a photo tutorial on the shadow wrap method on my blog to help those who may be still afraid of the process.

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?

I
have a long list of returning testers, whom I can trust. I also welcome
new testers, should they be interested. I know that I would not be able
to do what I do, without great testers. I hope that if I do become
successful, I would be able to offer some sort of compensation to my
testers for their hard work and dedication, even if it is only the yarn
for their tests.

When
designing something new, I do work a sample in my own size. I can use
the model to take photos of my work and to ensure that my pattern is
well written. I usually write a pattern and knit it simultaneously.
With a garment I need multiple testers to confirm that the fit is good
for each size in the pattern. It would be impossible for me to do this
all on my own.

No,
the business grew organically and started with just one simple pattern
in 2012. I didn't know I would come this far, and have no idea where my
knitting is taking me. I just know I enjoy the process and want to keep
working hard at creating innovative designs and writing great patterns.

Do you have a mentor?

I
wouldn't say I have a mentor, but I do admire Joji. She is an
independent designer who has made her own name through Ravelry. I
respect that and believe that she has put in a lot of hard work to get
to where she is now.

Do you have a business model that you have emulated?

Not
particularly. My business model is to write good patterns and create
interesting designs. It is a passion for me first, business is
secondary.

Do you use a tech editor?

My
testers are my tech editors. I am bilingual and write most of my
patterns in both English and German. I have my German versions edited to
ensure they are grammatically correct.

This
is, at times, difficult for me. I am a mom of 3 kids, so most of my
work time is when they are at school. I struggle with not having enough
time to dedicate to the business. However, I also wonder if I spend too
much time on it, because the reward (pay) is so small.

Also,
I tend to be a fall/winter knitter and designer. I do know that I
should be working harder in the spring and summer to become more
successful. Balancing knitting in the summer with other activities
(sailing) is a challenge.

How do you deal with criticism?

I
love criticism, so long as it is well intended and polite. I find it
very helpful to get feedback from testers and knitters. I like to hear
what they think of my designs. I realize that I am only human, and do
make mistakes. It is great to have people who actually tell you what
they think, so that I am able to grow in the process!

I
am not (yet?) able to support myself. I would be making more money
working part time in a fast food restaurant than I would knitting, and
the hours would be much better!

Recently
I have decided I needed to make a concerted effort to become a more
successful designer. The kids are old enough for me to go back to a
"real job". Making knitwear design my career would be a dream come
true! I am hoping that through dedication and hard work in the coming
months, I will be able to come closer to achieving my goal of being able
to support myself, but I also know it will take time.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?

Be
patient and don't give up! Don't expect anything to go viral over
night. This happens only for the very lucky few. I have been hoping for
this to happen for years, it hasn't. Growth is gradual and building a
following over time is essential for a successful career.

What’s next for you?

At
the moment, I plan to continue to concentrate on designing great
patterns. I have also been in contact with some local independent yarn
dyers and will be working together with them. I'm also excited to be
exploring the "real" knitting world as opposed to the online "virtual"
world. I have been meeting new people and making new friends. I hope to
build my circle of real-world knitting friends even further.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Once
a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights
on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed
that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly
different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting
world.

Where do you find inspiration?There is not one particular source I find inspiration from for my designs. Nature, people, shapes, colors, architecture, yarn and fashion all offers a lot to get creativity going. That is the beautiful part about designing. One of my newer designs Ayona for example was inspired by the geometrical diamond shape.

What is your favourite knitting technique?There are so many interesting techniques out there that it is hard to choose one favorite. I like to play with modular knitting as well as finding and exploring less known or new ways to achieve the construction I have in mind.

Do you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?Looking at other designers work is like jumping into a big pool of creativity. There is always something to learn, to admire or just to make sure that the design I am thinking about doesn’t already exist. I especially love designers who found their own style or design voice instead of doing more of the same.

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?For now I knit the first sample myself, since it gives me the freedom to change things around as I go in case I want to add another detail or alter.I work with 4 to 10 test knitters. I usually use some of my regular more experienced ones. In addition, I am also working with some less experienced knitters or testers, since their questions help to find out how user-friendly the patterns are. Let me take this question as an opportunity to thank all the people who test knit. It is very valuable for me as a designer and also for fellow knitters to get an easy to use pattern.

Did you do a formal business plan?After moving from the US to Europe this is next on my agenda. It is always important to think about where you want to go and what you would like to achieve - especially if you plan to make designing your profession.

Do you have a mentor?Unfortunately not. I am a learning-by-doing kind of person although I have a great network of knitters and designers who would give input or advice when needed.

Do you have a business model that you have emulated?When I used to live in the US I worked as an hand dyer and designer to give the business a broader base. (I love dyeing too)Do you use a tech editor?Not yet. I just recently have started to look for someone who fits my needs and would like to collaborate with me.

How do you maintain your life/work balance?Keeping a life/work balance is not easy. I have a family and another job. It needs a lot of discipline to balance this.

How do you deal with criticism?Constructive criticism helps to improve my skills and pattern writing and therefore I am thankful for it. Through the years I have also learned to handle destructive criticism and it doesn’t affect me that much anymore.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?Through knitting platforms like Ravelry it became much easier for knitters to make designing their profession. As for any other profession it is important to learn more about what it needs to become a designer. Unfortunately, I met some beautiful knitters who thought as a designer they could now earn money with their hobby, and knit all day long. They later learned that there is much more involved, the hard way. Through the increasing possibilities for knitters to pursue this career also the number of designers increased tremendously during the last few years. Therefore, one of the things I would emphasize is to work towards developing your own style or distinct voice as a designer to avoid doing more of the same and getting lost in the crowd.

What’s next for you?With moving to Germany, I have to reinvent myself again since the industry is different than in the US. It’s a new challenge I fully embrace. It is important for me not to get stuck in old ways….. One of the things which are on my heart in this process can be summarized with two words “Slow Fashion”.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Here's an update on my hand knit reorganization from last March. Take a look at the photos below. I'm proud to say the shelves and drawers of my armoire (which store the sweaters) still look as beautifully well organized and tidy as they did when I sorted everything out. I always get a little jolt of happiness when I go to the armoire to get a sweater out to wear. I'm also wearing a wider range of things as I can finally see everything at one time. Separating winter garments onto the shelves and summer garments into two of the larger drawers means at this time of year I really only look in one place to choose something to wear.

Unfortunately, the shawl and accessory sort hasn't been so successful. They are all in one place (good) but I'm using a linen closet in a dark corner (bad) and the shelves are too deep to keep the stacks tidy (bad). I tend to knit those items from very soft and slithery yarns (bad) which makes it even harder to keep the piles neat. I've got everything there sorted by colour which is hard to see because it's dark. Add to that a much wider range of sizing and I think I have two fixable issues. The first is I'm going to add a battery operated light so I can see better. I'm also going to start looking for some shelf organizers. I'll probably wait until the January household sales to start my search. I think spending a little money to tackle this will be worthwhile since the garment reorg was so successful.

Here's my original post on this topic:

The great hand knit reorganization of 2017 got stalled out a few weeks ago. The combination of not enough space banged up against "I can't get rid of that I spent too many hours knitting it" and "I know I don't wear it any more"!

I kept reminding myself of an organizing rule from an old TV show Clean Sweep. Peter Walsh would tell people they could keep what would fit into a specific space. So I paused and loaded all the questionable knits into laundry baskets while I mulled. It is amazingly hard to let go of garments made with your own hands.

It did help as I got the shelves and drawers of my armoire looking good. I really didn't want to stuff things back in.

Wow! that's a lot of knitting, but the stacks mean I can see what I've got.

Here's summer sweaters with the piles graduated so I can see them properly.

I'm still working on the shawls and accessories. You might not get to see a photo when I'm done. That corner of the room is so dark I'm not sure even editing will lighten it up enough.

I finally tossed out some of the things which are not in good enough condition to donate. I had some garments which were in very good shape (thank you, tough hard wearing wool) those ones will go off to donation in the very near future.

Friday, December 1, 2017

I'm posting a link to two articles because they answer so many of the questions knitters ask about fit. Kathleen mentions that comments on her site have "led me to believe that I still hadn’t done a decent enough job in explaining the parameters of what grading is or isn’t." I've had that feeling myself when knitters complain about patterns lacking in size ranges and appropriate fit. I frequently point to retail size ranges and how they are treated separately but knitters confuse the concepts of size and proportion. These concepts are very complex. Every teacher I ever had the good fortune to work with, had years of experience with a vast number of various body types. You can read the articles here and here.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Once
a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights
on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed
that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly
different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting
world.

My
inspiration mostly comes from yarns. If the yarn attracts me in some
way, I immediately think what can I knit out of it. I often buy a
skein or two just to try the new to me yarn out. Design ideas may
come while I am playing with the yarn, trying different stitch
patterns and observing how the stitch pattern and the yarn interact,
or how two colours look next to each other.

What
is your favourite knitting technique?

My
most recent favourite knitting techniques are magic loop for knitting
in the round, and Italian cast on to start the ribbing in bottom up
hats or cowls. Usually I don't bother with fancy techniques, my motto
is the simpler the better, but there are a few ones I just cannot
live without.

Do
you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will
be influenced by their designs?

I
had a fear before that seeing the other designers' works will
interfere with my own creativity, and for years I've been simply
refusing to look at other designs just for the sake of keeping my
mind clear. On the other hand, I realized that I cannot isolate
myself totally from what is going on around me. You need to know what
is trendy and what is popular with other knitters, that you can offer
what the average knitter is looking for. By saying this I don't mean
a designer needs to copy others to fit in the market, but observing
others' works rather helps to stay up to date with hand knitting
trends.

How
many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it
all yourself?

All
my samples I knit by myself since it is necessary for me to check and
tune up the pattern before I will hand it to the test knitters or a
tech editor. I wish, I had someone close to me to knit a sample, but
it has to be someone who can understand and feel my way of thinking
while I've been creating a particular design, or at least be able to
communicate in real life. If it's a simple design, like a hat or a
scarf, I can ask someone to check the pattern for spelling and typos,
with more complex shawl designs I would call for test knitters.

I
don't have a business plan, as I still consider my designing work as
a hobby. Putting myself in a fixed time frame or loading myself with
obligations, like achieving a certain set of goals, doesn't give me a
freedom to create.

Do
you have a business model that you have emulated?

I
can say, that my current business model is very simple - to publish
patterns and run promotions regularly. It keeps me busy enough at the
moment. My current goal is to master pattern writing skills to such a
level that I would have more time to invest into the creative and
technical sides of the design process.

Even
the best test knitters cannot replace a tech editor's work. When I
feel, my pattern needs professional attention, I use a tech
editor's services.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/petal-showers-hat

How
do you maintain your life/work balance?

Maintaining
the balance sometimes is not an easy task. I do not consider my
designing work as a work, it is rather the most enjoyable and
satisfying hobby for me. Whenever I have a spare minute, I would
rather spend it knitting or sketching a new design. This is how I
relax.

Living
in Canada I discovered that Canadians are the most polite people in
the world, and very generous with giving compliments. When it comes to
my main hobby, they make me feel like I am a knitting queen. And
while I really appreciate such a kindness, I am longing for healthy
constructive criticism. There is always room for improvement.

What
advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in
knitting?

Even
though it becomes a career to you at some point, it is still an art,
and you are an artist who is trying to express yourself through it.
Make sure you continue to enjoy the process. First of all you do it
for yourself, and when someone else appreciates your work, that's a
bonus! Remain true and genuine, and people somehow catch that vibe
through your designs.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Once
a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights
on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed
that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly
different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting
world.

Where do you find inspiration?The first source of my inspiration is my hands. I let them do what they want, making crazy swatches, inventing new techniques, drawing sketches. The next source is my eyes. I watch fashion shows, street-wear, apparel shops. Then I let myself soak in trends, lines, shapes and colours. After that I mix everything and the design pops into my mind. I just need to knit it quickly before the inspiration fades away.

What is your favourite knitting technique?Maybe it‘s not a technique in the way we normally understand it. It is a combination of techniques which I use to make garments that fit real women's bodies. My design process is split into two parts. The first is to design the garment as I see it. Yarn, stitch pattern, color, silhouette and the finishing techniques. The next part is to make pattern drafts which are taken from tailoring. I add different styles of bust darts, I make the back longer and I lift the back neck, I use a wider front, different shoulder slopes, unsymmetrical armholes and sleeve caps. My knitters are not only knitters, but they have the skills of a tailor at the same time. And of course, all detailed instructions are included in every pattern. The goal is to connect design and the best fit possible into one piece. And that is my favourite technique.

New design coming Jan 2018

Do you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?Sometimes I look and I have my beloved designers. But I hope I do have my own style and I‘m not afraid to be influenced. As I mentioned already, I‘m keen on the tailoring side of knitting and that is completely different.

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself? I have a lot. I need about 20-30 knitters to test one sample. I do 7 sizes, so I need 2-3 knitters to test one size. I've done around 15 or 16 testings already, so maybe one hundred in total... My test knitters (I call them Early Birds) are the best in the world. I made a look-book of my last collection, and the last pages of it show how talented and beautiful they are. You can see it here: https://issuu.com/aisteb1973/docs/merino_hug_winter_solstice

Did you do a formal business plan?No, I didn't. I just have a schedule of the steps which I need to do and try to follow them.

New design coming Jan 2018

Do you have a mentor?I have a forum thread where I've been teaching knitting for three years. Many talented knitters participate there and we share our experiences. Some of them have taught me a lot. But I do not have a formal mentor. When I was a kid, I had a grandmother. She was a passionate knitter and she instilled me with a passion for knitting.

Do you use a tech editor?No, I do not. My methods of making patterns is very different and no tech editor would be able to calculate them correctly.

How do you maintain your life/work balance?Knitting and designing is my full time hobby. I have a business, but now my husband takes care of 90% of it, so I am almost free to do what I love.

How do you deal with criticism?Criticism sometimes hurts, but it also sometimes works as eye opener. The biggest transformations in my knitting life happened thanks to constructive criticism.

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?I‘m not supporting myself yet. I think I need more time and more effort. However looking at it from a different angle I find doing what you love is more valuable.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?If you eat, breathe and sleep knitting, you should try. If knitting is your best friend, if you dream sweaters at night, if you prefer knitting to a party, camping or a trip, you should try. And I recommend that you need to have at least few decades of knitting experience.

What’s next for you?I published my first collection, Merino Hug. Winter Solstice recently. It consists of 8 patterns, all using merino yarn. All the designs fit a woman's curves and use tailoring patterns. Now I‘m working on my Spring collection, drawing sketches of the upcoming Summer collection and thinking of Fall. That is my plan for the next two years.

About Me

email contact robinknits(AT)gmail(dot)com
I've been knitting my whole life. I don't even remember learning. I started making garments for myself in my teens and then explored sewing, tailoring and millinery. I want to teach knitters about fit and flattery and turn them into fashion stars!
On my blog you will find lots of interviews with knitting industry professionals, how to tutorials and a variety of posts about what's going on in the knitting world.
I love to come out and speak at shops and guilds. Here's what the Downtown Knit collective said after one of my talks:
“Robin Hunter’s inspiring talk, “The Barbie Factor,” left everyone in a feel-good mood at the conclusion of the May meeting. Heads were nodding in agreement all around ... as she tackled a multi-faced problem faced by many knitters—why don’t we knit for ourselves? She touched on many topics including fashion, body image, media and how it all relates back to our knitting.”
You can see my patterns on http://www.patternfish.com/des/robin_hunter and you can find me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/people/knittingrobin
My YouTube channel is here:http://www.youtube.com/user/robinknits?feature=mhee